There are so many ways a student can be successful with their learning. I know that most students like to believe that they are deep learners, but to be honest, I have only ever met a few deep learners in my lifetime. Even the smartest kids in my school were either strategic or surface learners. To be fair, the students who were surface learners were the ones who didn't do as well. If someone was a strategic learner they were walking a thin line between doing well or doing horribly. I believe that those who were strategic learners but also did horribly did not know how to play the game. After all, school is one huge game pitting the students against the teachers and themselves.
My whole life I have been a strategic learner. I know that’s the worst possible learner, but it’s how I’ve been taught. I think that the competition in school forced me to want to be the best, which caused me to only focus on the necessary information. I was obsessed with doing as well as the "smart" people in my grade. As a result of cutting corners, I brainwashed myself into thinking I had school all figured out. I thought I had a system that worked because I got straight A’s and finished in the top 10% of my class. Looking back now though, I can see where I went wrong.
The transition from high school to college, homework wise, hasn’t been terribly challenging. I haven't noticed a significant difference between work load, but I know this isn’t going to last long. To be honest I’m terrified because I am still a strategic learner. I know I have to change my mindset, I have to change the way I study, and it’s much harder than I thought it was going to be. It’s not just flipping a switch and I’m fixed. I know this is something that I’m going to have to work really hard for. I’m especially nervous for exams. I know I’m going to have to do way more than just cramming it all in one night.
I hope to one day have a growth mindset, one where I can accept challenges and failures. I’m not naive to think that it’s going to happen overnight. In an ideal world I hope to have a growth mindset by the time I finish with college. I don’t think I want to be a deep learner though, which may be surprising. I don’t want to be a deep learner with every subject. I can picture myself being a deep learner with classes that are specific to my major, and I think that this is completely fine. I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me but I’m ready. I really hope that one day I break my habit of having a strategic mindset and eventually can say that I know how to take notes well, study well, and accept my failures and new challenges.
My whole life I have been a strategic learner. I know that’s the worst possible learner, but it’s how I’ve been taught. I think that the competition in school forced me to want to be the best, which caused me to only focus on the necessary information. I was obsessed with doing as well as the "smart" people in my grade. As a result of cutting corners, I brainwashed myself into thinking I had school all figured out. I thought I had a system that worked because I got straight A’s and finished in the top 10% of my class. Looking back now though, I can see where I went wrong.
The transition from high school to college, homework wise, hasn’t been terribly challenging. I haven't noticed a significant difference between work load, but I know this isn’t going to last long. To be honest I’m terrified because I am still a strategic learner. I know I have to change my mindset, I have to change the way I study, and it’s much harder than I thought it was going to be. It’s not just flipping a switch and I’m fixed. I know this is something that I’m going to have to work really hard for. I’m especially nervous for exams. I know I’m going to have to do way more than just cramming it all in one night.
I hope to one day have a growth mindset, one where I can accept challenges and failures. I’m not naive to think that it’s going to happen overnight. In an ideal world I hope to have a growth mindset by the time I finish with college. I don’t think I want to be a deep learner though, which may be surprising. I don’t want to be a deep learner with every subject. I can picture myself being a deep learner with classes that are specific to my major, and I think that this is completely fine. I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me but I’m ready. I really hope that one day I break my habit of having a strategic mindset and eventually can say that I know how to take notes well, study well, and accept my failures and new challenges.